Vengence
by Tyrammafar
Summary: Sometimes the quest is far more complicated than killing the monsters.Sometimes the story goes deeper than you can imagine.Sometimes the only way to destroy darkness...is with darkness. Revenge is a dangerous game, and one not easily played. Your turn...
1. Chapter 1

The loud babble of the tavern drowned out Erik's yawn as he and his two companions waited for their new employer. The woman beside him, Mana, was busy reading from an old scroll she had found on their last job, and the short halfling to her side, Mick, was busy carving something into the oaken table.

"You said the job sounded easy?" Mana asked, brushing dirt off her indigo robes. Erik nodded and gripped his sword-hilt.

"Ya, it sounded like a real simple thing, more of an errand, really."

"If it's an 'errand'…" Mick began. "…then why is the guy paying us so much? Twenty-thousand seems a bit much for someone to pay for a simple errand." The door to the tavern opened and a white-haired human came in, his dark clothes blending with the dim surroundings. A short, hooded figure was at his side, and the man looked around quickly. The small figure growled and tugged the man's shirt.

"Er, boss? Me thinks they bes there." He pointed to them and the man nodded, pushing his way through the crowd and sitting at their table.

"We were wondering when you'd show up." Erik growled, looking at the grandfather clock in the corner. It was two in the morning.

"I apologize for the delay." The man said quietly, rubbing his temples. "A few of the ko…kitchen workers contracted some sort of rotting sickness and I was forced to heal them to keep it from spreading." Mana frowned.

"You have servants? Sorry…you just don't look like the type." The man chuckled and looked at the short figure at his side, who was standing on a stool to see the others at their level.

"I am Ristvak, and this is Drek." Mick sucked his cheek and looked at him questioningly. "I know; strange names…"

"Get to the point." Erik said angrily, far too tired to chat. Drek growled animal-like at him and he growled back, brandishing a knife. The little servant yelped like a dog and looked away. "I want to figure this out so I can get some sleep."

"Very well." Ristvak rubbed his knuckles together. "I have run into some trouble with one of the local minotaurs, to the east of this city. The creature has intercepted many of my trade caravans and my horde's supplies are short. Much as I hate to admit it…my powers are not enough to remove him. I am forced to rely on a few others to help me destroy the creature."

"And you really want us to help you kill this minotaur?" Mana asked, raising an eyebrow. "Those beasts aren't easy to kill, you know."

"I most certainly know. And this one is one of the few magic-wielding ones in the land. I wouldn't risk going against him myself…he's powerful enough to slay most dragons. I need help, and you are the ones for the job."

"We are the best there is." Erik said, gripping his sword tightly. "And you're going to follow us to make sure the deed is done?"

"I will not, but Drek will." Drek gave a loud yelp and began babbling in some harsh language that none of them could identify. "Drek, you must do as you are ordered."

"…me understands, great one…" He said finally in his high, rasping voice.

"And you'll be greatly rewarded for your efforts."

"Besides the gold you promised?" Mick asked with a gleam in his eye.

"Much more besides that. I happen to have a few objects in my possession that I have no use for…but you could use them very well." The man stood up. "I take my leave. Drek here knows more; it's up to him to explain the details." As the man left the figure whimpered and looked around the table, red eyes gleaming from under his hood.

"Erm…me not wants this to end badly, so we do this right from the start." He said quietly. "Boss trust me, so we not make him mad. He get mad…me die."

"Sounds like a harsh master…" Mick muttered.

"He is good master, much better than white dragon me serve last!"

"You served a white dragon?" Erik raised an eyebrow.

"He was bad master…he kill kobolds for fun!" Mana stood and raised her hand, eyes ablaze. Drek yelled, yipping and shaking his head as her palm glowed red.

"Mana! He's a friend." Erik knocked her hand aside. "Alright, Drek, show us your face." The creature nodded and lowered his hood, revealing the draconic, reddish-brown head of a kobold. "I knew it…so we have to work with a kobold now?" Erik slammed his fist on the table and Drek covered his head again. "We can't back out because of one kobold…just no funny stuff."

"Me nots like that." Drek said quickly. "Drek is good friend to yous, but you must be good friend to Drek." Mana scowled and turned away and Erik put a hand on her shoulder.

"I know, Mana…" She closed her eyes and sighed. "I remember; you hate them more than anything else, but we have to work with him. It's all worth it."

"If he does anything…anything at all…I'll torch him." Erik sighed and turned to the kobold.

"Now, Drek; when is the best time to go?"

"Methinks the night would not be good…we may nots be seen, but we can't sees them!"

"He has a good point." Mick said. "Smart for a kobold."

"We'll go this afternoon." Mana said, ending the discussion. "And this minotaur will wish he had never been born."


	2. Chapter 2

**Sorry about chapter length, this will soon change! **

**-------------------**

**Chapter 2**

**Morning on the Road**

**-------------------------------**

As soon as the four travelers left the city behind Drek threw off his cloak, wiping grime off his rusty scales. "Ugh…filthy, filthy." He muttered. "Why must Drek wear cloak?"

"Because if you don't you'll be gutted by the first human that sees you." Mick said, a smile tugging at his lips. The kobold shivered and kicked the cloak into the trees.

"Well no more! I hates smelly cloak!" He shivered and regained his composure, motioning for them to follow him. "Drek was with last trade wagon…he sees how mino' do it. He stand in road, taunting kobolds to attack, and when we do, he kills us with great axe! But Drek and cousin Mecca sees trap, and we runs back to master!"

"What does the minotaur do with the stuff in the wagons?" Erik asked, following the little kobold through the trees.

"Me no knows…eats food perhaps?" Drek shrugged, strapping a short sword to his thin waist. "You not likes Drek…why?" He asked, turning to Mana. She looked away and remained silent. "Me just wants to know… keeping things in hurt you deep. You keep it in for too long…it could kill you." Mana had to smile at his statement

"You are very wise for a kobold." Drek turned his head, blushing.

"Erm…thank yous."

"My…my family was killed when I was little…by kobolds." Mana said quietly. Drek looked up at her in surprise.

"What they after?"

"They just wanted to kill humans for the fun of it." Mana growled. Drek shook his head.

"No, no…kobolds only raid humans when master say so, and master only say so when humans have something he want."

Mana shook her head. "My family had nothing of value."

"That_you _know of…" Drek hissed.

"What?"

"Families keep secrets." Drek said quietly. "Drek's family always did…and now Drek must keep them safe."

"…my family wouldn't keep secrets from me." Man threw her hood up as the noon sun beat down on them, and this ended the discussion.

After some time, the group came upon a strange sight. A human woman was trapped by the double blades of an axe, pinned to a tree trunk. She wore only rags, just enough to hide her form. If she moved at all in any way, she would be cut. Her golden hair was drenched in sweat, and her head snapped up as they approached.

"A little help would be appreciated…" She muttered, looking down at the axe.

"Let me guess…minotaur?" Erik said, gripping the axe near the blades.

"Read my mind, didn't you? Yes, the foul beast attacked me without warning." She waited while Erik yanked on the handle, but it took several tries to get it out. "My thanks. I might want to get away from here before he decides to finish the job."

"You could help us kill him." Mana suggested.

"I'd prefer getting far away from here…but good luck." The woman looked down at the axe in disgust, striding away.

"What, a thank you and you walk off?" Mick blurted. The woman was gone. "Why did you help her, Erik? We should have asked for payment!"

"It's always something that needs payment with you." Mana said with a scowl. "Can't you do something out of the goodness of your heart for once?"

"Let me think…no, I don't think I can. Come on, Erik, we have a bull to slaughter." The halfling walked away quickly, and Erik was forced to follow.

"Short one greedier than master!" Drek said, following Mana through the trees. "Something strange about that human…she very familiar, somehow…"

"Why do you say that?" Erik asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Female smell funny…it no matter." Drek ran ahead of the others, hopping up and down impatiently. "Come! Come! Drek hungry and we waste time!"

Mana tugged on Erik's sleeve. "Why do we trust this creature?"

"He was told to lead us by our employer." Erik explained. "We have to, or we don't get paid."

"I don't trust him…something is fishy about all of this." Man licked her lower lip. "That man that hired us…did you see his eyes?"

"They glowed, I know. He was a powerful mage."

"I just don't understand…if he was a powerful mage with a horde of kobolds in his service, he would have more of a chance than us." Mana let out a long breath. "I think that he might be leading us into a trap…"

"Mana, you say that about everything." Erik almost laughed. "It's always a trick or a trap…I have a feeling that this isn't. The only problem is finding the minotaur…"

"…before it finds us." Mana finished. "We need to find the place where his caravan was attacked, and start from there."

"I think we already found it…" Erik muttered under his breath.

Drek was standing in the road, staring at the deep ruts cut into the ground. There was nothing around but forest and a small clearing off to the right. "What?! I swear this is place where wagon gots attacked!" Drek wailed. "Where they go?"

"How big were the wagons?" Erik asked, looking at the ruts. They were very deep.

"Really_really _big!" Drek cried, looking around frantically. "Big as old master!"

"As big as a dragon?"

"Uh-huh!" Drek chattered his teeth together. "Where wagon go? They not just walk away!"

"Or maybe they did." Mick said. The four gathered around something that looked a lot like huge footprints, right where the ruts of the wagons ended. The footprints were deep as well, and led off into the forest. "Looks like those wagons sprouted legs to me!"

"This just keeps getting stranger and stranger." Erik sighed.

"I have a feeling that trend will not stop yet." Mick said, jumping into the footprint, which was so deep it came up to his knee. "What were those things filled with? Metal? Rock?"

"They had…oh, master tells me not to say." Drek trailed off. "We must follow, come on!" The three ran after the kobold, which had taken off into the trees.


End file.
